Rail fitting



' Nov. 1.8, 1930.

w. sHANKs ETAL.

RAIL FITTING Filed Dec. 18, 1925 lllllW IN'vENTc-ms gaan/ BYJWMLMB (allATTORNEYS Patented Nov.l 18, 1930 PATENT ori-ICE WILLIAM SHANKS, OFBROOKLYN, AND WILLIAM B.: GATER, OF DOUGLASTON, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNORS T0 VULCAN RAIL AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OFylVIliSlElTI., Y

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEWY YORK RAIL :FITTINGrApplication filed December 181 1925. Serial No.V 76,138.

This invention relates to certain improvements in rail fittings of' thatclass in which rails are lset in posit-ion in posts or standards as, forexample, the guard railconstructions now commonly employed in railwayand sub-x way stations, boardwalk rails and the like.

It is the especial object of the present invention to providean improvedfitting for use in such constructions by which ythe rails and standardsor posts may be. locked together by a locking means which may be usedafter the rails are in position, the locking means being of simplecharacter so that they can be readily and quickly installed by unskilledlabor.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved lockingdevice for locking the parts together which does notinclu'de any movableparts requiring adjustment and which will hold a fitting in. placeagainst movement due to vibration of the rails or to movement of therails due to temperature changes. i

ith these and other objects not specifically referred to in view, theinvention consists in certain novel parts, arrangements and combinationswhich will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings andthe novel features pointed out in the claim annexed hereto.

Referring to the draw1ngs- Y Figure 1 isa side View, partly 1n verticalsection, partly broken away, of one of the improved fittings.

Figure 2 is an end view of the construction shown in Figure 1, lookingin the direc-V supporting post. As shown, the fitting is prol vided withupper and lower projections 2, 3, which are internally threaded, asindicated at 4, to receive the threaded ends 5`v of theposts orstandards6. lItwill beunderstood, ofl l course,.that Awhere theV fitting is to beusedl with thetopvrail, as indicated at 7 in Figure 4, the upperprojection 2 mayl be'omitted.

The sleeve 1 is provided'with an aperture f Vto receive the rail 8.These rails 8 which are or may be of the usual form of iron pip,es,'are

inserted in the sleeves and are locked in p0- sitlon by the improvedlocking'means contemplated by the invention. Theselocking l meansareshown in detail as provided on one side ofthe sleeve,`but it will beunderstood, that if' desired, they may be employed onv both sides andsuch use Yis contemplated by the invention. The improvedlocking means ofthe present invention are, preferably, suitably dimensioned pieces ofsoft or deformable metalf'as, for instance, lead, which can be readily.and easilyV placed in position by unskilled labor. yThis type oflocking means. isdesirableingthat it can be readily put in place, and ifit is necessary to removeV it orl if for" any'v reason it should workout, it is onlynecessary to insert another piece of the" metal, thisdoing away with the necessity of using special wedge vkeys or theglikewhich have to be specially made for the purpose.

In accordance with the invention, therefore, alock off'soft metal,indicated by the numeral 9, is employed forlocking the rail inthesleeve. To prevent accidental removal or displacement of this k'metal'meansare pro! vided for anchoringl the metal in place,and thesemea-nsmay be conveniently'formed in a socket provided in the'sleeve forthe recepy tion of the Inetal. vThese means maybe some what varied.'Referring first tothe construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sleeve2 is provided with an extension or boss 10 which is formed with a recess11. This recess, as shown in Fig. 1, does not extend entirely throughthe wall of the sleeve and there is left a shoulder 12 which forms astopor abutment for the metal. The metal is held in this socket or recess,in the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2, by beveling or undercut-vting the bottom of the recess, as shown at 13 so that when the metal isin position it has a wedge action and isheld against reiiioval ordisplacement due to Vibration of the rail or to movement of the rail dueto tempera-ture changes. Furthermore, this metal permits, Withoutdisplacement, the slight movement of the rail due to temperf aturechanges without causing any buelding or injury to the parts. y

In Figure 3 is shown a modification oie the recess in which, iiiaddition t0 .thebeveling or inclinine' ot the bottom 13 of the recess,

the side Walls of the recess are inclined yaway from each other in aninward direction, as indicated at 14, so that an additional-'hold on themetal is obtained. v

In use the standards are 'screwed in tothe fittings and they may ;be,-ifdesired, imbedded in concrete or otherniaterial of which vthe platform15.. istina de. `The rails 8 are then put 'through the sleeves. pieceet' soft metal, such as .lead ortlieilike, .is then stuffed to theapproximate diniensionot the socket and `thus eleetually'lecksthe railto the sleeves.V Y I It Will be apparent from the foregoing; de-

scription that a very cheap and etlective rail fitting has been devisedEand one Whichcan be quickly and readily removed4 by unskilled labor andone in which tlie leelzingmeans` may be easily and readily rnlacedfiwithout thenecessity ot anyspeeial parte.v y

While thel invention has been shown and described in yits Ypreferredlfoi-in7 it will be understood that various changes maybe made in thespecific construction and arrangement, ot theparts and the locking'sockets, Without from the invention as` deseribed-gin denartinv .1 ,nthe appended claim.

A Wfhat is claimed is:

ln a railiittinggthe eombinationyot abou-- 4pling; member having alongitudinal sleeve y eapac-itated to receive a rail andnineansorisupporting the eouplinga rail positioned in the longitudinal sleeve,a relatively nar-.1

row recess extending longitudinally of the rail sleeve andliavingabottoin inclined toward the vertical axis .ojt' the .Couplingand inwardly diverging kside Walls, .and a rail locking'member-Comprising asiiigle piece of deformable metaldiinensionedtolsubstantiallyfill the recess and driven therein andengaging` tlieiail and sleeve to loelrthe rail in its sleeve. Y

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto.

set our hands.

WILLIAM SHANKS; lVILLlAlll CTEB.

